Multiwidth document stacker

ABSTRACT

A longitudinal bend is applied to documents being delivered to a stacker by a device that must accommodate wide variations in document length, width and weight of document paper. A cupping drive roll and a cupping idler roll cooperate to transport a document to the stacker and impart a longitudinal bend to the document. A pair of cupping guides are disposed on opposite axial sides of the cupping idler roll with the idler roll and one cupping guide being selectively transversely movable. The adjusting mechanism requires disengagement of the idler roll prior to movement and maintains such disengagement during adjustment to an alternate position.

[111 women United States Patent lnventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Marvin 1E. Nyberg Rochester, Minn.

June 26, 1969 Aug. 3, 1971 International Business Machines Corporation Armonk, NY.

MUL'l'lWlDTH DOCUMENT STACKER [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 346,411 7/1886 Metzger et a1. 271/86 1,148,509 8/1915 Gammeter 271/80 Primary Examiner-Joseph Wegbreit Attorneys- Hanifin and Jancin and Robert W. Lahtinen ABSTRACT: A longitudinal bend is applied to documents being delivered to a stacker by a device that must accommod-ate wide variations in document length, width and weight of document paper. A cupping drive roll and a cupping idler roll cooperate to transport a document to the stacker and impart a longitudinal bend to the document. A pair of cupping guides are disposed on opposite axial sides of the cupping idler roll with the idler roll and one cupping guide being selectively transversely movable. The adjusting mechanism requires disengagement of the idler roll prior to movement and maintains such disengagement during adjustment to an alternate position.

Patented Aug. 3, 1971 3,596,904

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 MARVIN E. NYBER6 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 3, 1971 3,596,90

4, Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 3, 1971 3,596,904

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 3, 1971 3,596,904

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MULTIWIDTIHI DOCUMENT STA CIIKIEIR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to document stackers and more particularly to stackers for documents of varying widths and varying weights ofpaper.

Handling documents automatically at high speeds requires a reliable feed, transport and stacker system wherein documents are not only fed and transported serially for processing, but also are uniformly stacked without folding or other damage. Further, to be useful in a wide variety of environments, the stacker must accept and stack documents of great variety with respect to both size and weight of paper. To resist transverse bending of sheets which are released from control of the transport it is common to impart a longitudinal bend to the sheet as it is propelled into the stacker by inducing curvature of the sheet about a longitudinal axis. This is effective to impart sufficient longitudinal stability to allow the document to achieve a position on the top of a stack without folding or bending in a random manner which causes irregular stacking. Although a cupping mechanism is effective in devices which process a single size document and weight of paper, known structures have not been tolerant of widely differing document sizes or varying weights of paper stock.

SUMMARY The stacker of the present invention utilizes a cupping mechanism including stationary and movable cupping guides. The movable guide is moved and positioned transversely of the document path in unison with a movable pressure roll that cooperates with a drive roll at a plurality of transverse positions. The pressure roll-drive roll should cooperate to apply the effective driving force through the center of resistance of the document. This would normally be the document center of gravity subject to variation caused by such additional forces as having the document traveling along an aligned path maintained by the engagement of one longitudinal document edge with a machine edge aligning surface.

Although the cupping roll drive could be accomplished by affording infinite variation of pressure roll along a continuous drive roll, the illustrated embodiment of the invention shows a drive having two transverse positions. This design, though not infinitely variable, is adapted to be tolerant ofa wide variety of documents including the vast majority which are regularly used both with respect to physical size of the documents and the weight of paper. By limiting the variability of the mechanism, the range of discretion that must be exercised by the machine operator is also reduced eliminating problems associated with a wide variety of operator controls.

The device provides for physical displacement of the cupping pressure roll and electrically interlocking the transport to prevent operation of the transport when the pressure roll is not disposed in one of the transverse operating positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the stacker drive assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. I with the assembly shown in the alternate position.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view partly broken away and partly exploded ofthe idler roll mounting assembly.

FIG. 4 is a partial elevation view of the stacker of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial section of the stacker arm including the idler roll mounting.

FIG. 6 is a partial planned view of the stacker arm support and cooperating slide assembly.

FIG. 7 is a partial section of the detent lever and the associated control shaft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. I a continuously driven shaft It) presents a pair of transversely spaced feed wheels I1, 12 which are of the same effective diameter and are driven at a tangential velocity equal to the transport speed of the machine. The feed wheel II is crowned and has a belt 14 trained therearound which forms a portion of the document transport system of the associated machine. An idler roll I5, which is a portion of the stacker arm support assembly I7, engages the driving belt 114 to control and drive a document which passes therebetween. A document approaching the stacker is guided along guide surfaces 19 and 20 which are disposed at each side ofa pair of belts that have contacting stretches which confine the document. A document approaching and under the control of the feed roll 11 and idler roll I5 has the inner and outer margins raised by the surface 2ll of stationary guide 22 and the surface 23 of the movable guide 24 disposed at the opposite side of the idler roll 15. When wider documents are transported to the stacker, the stacker arm assembly I7 is positioned in the alternate location shown in FIG. 2 with the idler roll 15 cooperating with feed roll 12. In the alternate position of FIG. 2 the movable outer cupping guide 24 and idler roll I5 are transversely displaced to a position of alignment between idler I5 and feed roll 12. In this position outer cupping guide 24 is maintained in the same position relative to idler roll I5, exposing the guide 25 which extends from transport belt 14 transversely intermediate feed rolls II and 12. The movable cupping guide 24 is secured to the cantilevered portion 27 of cover 28 which also presents an end wall 29 and top and front walls 30 and 3H respectively. Movable guide 24 also has a rear marginal portion 33 (FIG. 4) which is received in the slotted opening 34 between the upper stationary guide 35 and the lower guide 25 and thereby avoids the possibility of a barrier being positioned in the guide path which might cause document damage or jam.

The stacker arm assembly 17, seen in FIG. 3, includes a transverse support plate 37 across one end of which is secured an end plate 38. Guide block 33 is mounted on transverse plate 37 to form a guideway between plate wall surface 40 and the guide block wall parallel to surface 40 which extends upwardly from guide block surface 41. This guideway receives the cantilevered portion 43 of slide 44. Cantilevered portion 43 has an elongated embossment 46 which projects into the elongated opening 4-7 of transverse plate 37, while cover plate 48 is bolted to the embossment 46 to confine transverse plate 37 for transverse reciprocating motion. Transverse plate 37, slide 44 and cover plate 48 are shown in the assembled condition in partial plan view of FIG. 6.

A stacker arm 50, including a stop SI (FIG. 4i) at its cantilevered distal end, is pivoted about the axis of a pin 53, supported from end plate 38 and received in the cylindrical aperture 55. Extending in a direction opposite of stop 51 is a document guide 54L Also seen in the section view of FIG. 5 the idler roll mounting frame 56 is carried by the stacker arm casting 57 and surrounds the forward vertical leg portion 53. The idler roll is journaled about a pin 60 carried by the longitudinally extending side members 61 of frame 56. The frame 56 is supported at the front by a pivot pin 63 carried by stacker arm casting 57 which projects into a recess 64 formed in the mounting frame 56 and at the rear by a cable 66 which is received in a vertical aperture 67 and secured by setscrew 68. The cable 66 is maintained in tension by a compression spring 70 received in mounting frame recess 7ll and stacker arm casting aperture 72. The spring 76 is confined within the stacker casting aperture by fillister head screw 73.

The cantilevered portion 43 of slide 44 has a pair of detents 76, 77 formed therein intermediate which are camming surfaces 78, 79 and guide surface 60. A detent lever 32 is pivotably mounted about pin 63 to a bracket 84, secured to transverse plate 37 and is received in the slot formed in the bifurcated portion of guide block 39. Lever 82 is biased downwardly by tension spring 81 which is interconnected between the cantilevered pin 75 extending from guide block 39 and the detent lever through aperture 86. Detent lever 82 is further alternately positionable in the slide detents 76 and 77 to relatively position stacker arm assembly 17 including idler roll 15, outer cupping guide 24 and stacker stop 51 which move transversely in unison therewith. The cable 66 which supports the forward end of the idler roll mounting frame 56 is also secured at its opposite end to the detent lever 82 such that pivoting of lever 82 about the axis of pin 83 causes the forward end of frame 56 and the idler roll 15 to be elevated. The end of cable 66 is secured to the adjacent plate 87 and is trained through the slot 88 in cantilevered plate 89.

Release of detent lever 82 from the cooperating detent 76 or 77 is effected by applying an axial force to the end surface 91 of actuating rod 92 against the biasing force of the concentric compression spring 93. As seen in FIG. 7, one end 94 of actuating rod 92 is of conical shape and terminates within the guide block 39 where it contacts a transversely inclined lower surface 99 of detent lever 82. Axial motion of actuating rod 92 causes detent lever 82 to be raised out of engagement with the cooperating slide detent 76 or 77 following which transverse motion of the arm assembly 17 causes detent lever to engage sequentially the adjoining camming surface 78 or 79 and thereafter the detent lever is maintained in an elevated condition until received in the other of the slide detents or returns to the same detent. Accordingly, in moving between the detent positions, idler roll 15 is initially lifted out of engagement with the cooperating feed roll 11 or 12 permitting the assembly to be moved transversely. ldler roll 15 is not again lowered to an operating condition until it is once more aligned with a cooperating feed roll. By moving the idler roll 15 in this manner the possibility of axial engagement of idler roll 15 with either of the feed rolls 11 or 12 is avoided as is the possibility of disturbing the belt 14 which is trained over feed roll 11. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 4 a handle 96 carried by the cover end wall 29 in a position below the end of actuator rod 92 to permit ready actuation of rod 92 and a firm grasp for effecting manual transverse positioning of the stacker arm assembly 17.

To prevent machine operation when idler 15 is not in an operative position confronting one of feed rolls 11 or 12, an interlock system is provided. This is afforded by switch 95 which is carried by an adjustment plate 90 with an intermediate insulating plate 74, the entire assembly being mounted on guide block 39. When the actuator 97 projecting from switch 95 extends, sensing the elevation of detent lever 82, the document transport is disabled, thereby preventing document processing. In addition a control panel light is illuminated indicating to the operator that an interlock is open. Accordingly whenever detent lever 82 is not positioned in one of the detents 76 or 77 switch 95 prevents machine operation.

in FIG. 4 a side elevation is shown of the terminal portion of a machine transport and the stacker mechanism. A first endless transport belt 98 is trained in part over pulleys 100, 101 and 102. A second transport belt 14 is trained over pulleys 100, 103 and 104 and feed wheel 11. The belts 14 and 98 run at a common velocity with the portions in the document path superimposed upon one another and running in unison to drive and control the travel of a document retained therebetween. Documents travel between belts 14 and 98 and are further guided by the arcuate guide members 106 and 35 passing around pulley 100 along the guide surfaces 19 and 20. Leaving confinement between the belts l4 and 98, a document is guided under guide 54 to the cupping idler roll 15. The cupping idler roll 15 and the engaged feed roll 11 or 12 in cooperation with stationary cupping guide 22 of a movable cupping guide 24 impart a longitudinal bend to the document to maintain the longitudinal stability of the document as it is discharged from the transport into a stack supported on platform 110 in abutting relation with stop 51. The stacker assembly stop member 51 and platform 110 each have a series of projections which are interdigitated to provide a positive stop for the initial documents received on the stacker platform.

What I claim is:

1. A sheet delivering and stacking mechanism for use with multiple width documents comprising:

a rotary document drive means;

cooperating idler roll means engageable with said drive means to transport a document received therebetween, said idler roll means being transversely movable between first and second operating positions;

first and second cupping guides positioned on opposite axial sides of said idler roll for imparting a longitudinal bend to documents being transported by said drive means and idler roll means by upwardly inclining the longitudinal margins of such documents;

means connecting said idler roll and said second cupping guide for unitary transverse movement; and

interlock means for preventing operation of said mechanism when said idler roll is not positioned in one of said operating positions.

2. The sheet delivery and stacking mechanism of claim 1 further comprising:

a stationary support having first and second detents and a guide surface;

an assembly carrying said idler roll and said second cupping guide,

said assembly being mounted on said stationary support for transverse reciprocating movement between first and second detents along said guide surface;

cooperating detent engaging means carried by said assembly; and

selectively operable means for disengaging said cooperating detent means from one of said detents to permit said assembly to move along said guide surface to engage said detent engaging means with the other of said detents.

3. The sheet delivering and stacking mechanism of claim 2 wherein said cooperating detent engaging means is connected to said idler roll to cause displacement of said detent engaging means to displace said idler roll away from a position of peripheral contact with said document drive means and said guide surface maintains said idler roll in such displaced position until said detent engaging means is returned to a detent engaging position.

4. A sheet delivering and stacking mechanism for use with multiple width documents comprising:

a rotary document drive means;

cooperating idler roll means engageable with said drive means to transport a document received therebetween, said idler roll means being transversely movable between first and second operating positions; first and second cupping guides positioned on opposite axial sides of said idler roll for imparting a longitudinal bend to documents being transported by said drive means and idler roll means;

means connecting said idler roll and said second cupping guide for unitary transverse movement;

a stationary support having first and second detents separated by an intermediate guide surface;

an assembly carrying said second cupping guide, said assembly being mounted on said stationary support for transverse reciprocating movement along said guide surface between said first and second detents;

cooperating detent engaging means carried by said assembly; and

selectively operable means for sequentially radially separating said idler roll from peripheral contact with said rotary drive means and thereafter disengaging said detent engaging means from the cooperating one of said detents, said guide surface cooperating with said assembly to retain said idler roll in said radially separated position until said detent engaging means is realigned with one of said detents. 

1. A sheet delivering and stacking mechanism for use with multiple width documents comprising: a rotary document drive means; cooperating idler roll means engageable with said drive means to transport a document received therebetween, said idler roll means being transversely movable between first and second operating positions; first and second cupping guides positioned on opposite axial sides of said idler roll for imparting a longitudinal bend to documents being transported by said drive means and idler roll means by upwardly inclining the longitudinal margins of such documents; means connecting said idler roll and said second cupping guide for unitary transverse movement; and interlock means for preventing operation of said mechanism when said idler roll is not positioned in one of said operating positions.
 2. The sheet delivery and stacking mechanism of claim 1 further comprising: a stationary support having first and second detents and a guide surface; an assembly carrying said idler roll and said second cupping guide, said assembly being mounted on said stationary support for transverse reciprocating movement between first and second detents along said guide surface; cooperating detent engaging means carried by said assembly; and selectively operable means for disengaging said cooperating detent means from one of said detents to permit said assembly to move along said guide surface to engage said detent engaging means with the other of said detents.
 3. The sheet delivering and stacking mechanism of claim 2 wherein said cooperating detent engaging means is connected to said idler roll to cause displacement of said detent engaging means to displace said idler roll away from a position of peripheral contact with said document drive means and said guide surface maintains said idler roll in such displaced position until said detent engaging means is returned to a detent engaging position.
 4. A sheet delivering and stacking mechanism for use with multiple width documents comprising: a rotary document drive means; cooperating idler roll means engageable with said drive means to transport a document received therebetween, said idler roll means being transversely movable between first and second operating positions; first and second cupping guides positioned on opposite axial sides of said idler roll for imparting a longitudinal bend to documents being transported by said drive means and idler roll means; means connecting said idler roll and said second cupping guide for unitary transverse movement; a stationary support having first and seCond detents separated by an intermediate guide surface; an assembly carrying said second cupping guide, said assembly being mounted on said stationary support for transverse reciprocating movement along said guide surface between said first and second detents; cooperating detent engaging means carried by said assembly; and selectively operable means for sequentially radially separating said idler roll from peripheral contact with said rotary drive means and thereafter disengaging said detent engaging means from the cooperating one of said detents, said guide surface cooperating with said assembly to retain said idler roll in said radially separated position until said detent engaging means is realigned with one of said detents. 